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February 23, 2014

Staying Organized

Source: Wikimedia.org

I have heard so many people say that they have considered paleo but don't have the time, discipline or organization to be faithful. It is a challenge with 25,000 other things going on at the same time, but it is doable. Just think of it as a puzzle, if you like those. It's really not too bad once you get the hang of it. Here are some of the things I do to stay organized and ensure that all of my meals are paleo.

Plan ahead, and write it down!

Go through your recipes (I usually use Pinterest) and put each day's lunches and dinners into your calendar. I would post a picture so you can see mine, but it would probably stress you out more.

Goodbye 3:00 panic of "What am I going to make for dinner?" and then ordering take-out because it's too daunting. We've all been there. All you have to do is check your calendar the night before and pull the meat for tomorrow's dinner out of the freezer.

Thawing Meat: I thaw all my meat in the sink with cold water and then put it in the refrigerator once thawed. This avoids the weird taste the microwave can cause!

Keep an ongoing grocery list.

I have a Notepad document on my desktop that I constantly update. Then, I print it out Sunday morning before my trip to the grocery store. This way you'll remember all of those random things that pop into your head throughout the week.

Prep ahead of time.

You can get a lot done on Sunday that will save you time throughout the week! Here are some things I usually do after the grocery store on Sunday's:

chop/peel fruits & veggies, i.e. cutting a stalk of celery into pieces
for snacks, chopping carrots into bite-size snack pieces, washing and
separating a stalk of romaine into leaves for lettuce wraps, chopping melons, cutting the tops off of strawberries

bake muffins for the week's breakfasts

grill chicken for Monday and Tuesday lunches

scramble eggs and put in container with 2 pieces of cooked bacon - Just pop it in the microwave, and you have a filling, healthy breakfast.

Here's what my schedule looks like:

Thursday - Look at grocery store sales & plan next week's meals.

Friday - Make next week's grocery list for the recipes you will use. Include all ingredients.

Saturday - Go through the grocery list and delete anything that you already have in the kitchen - spices, meat, condiments, oils, vinegars, etc.

This will also make you happy because it feels like you're saving money!

Food Prep Sunday - Grocery shopping! I think it is so fun to go to the store and get everything for the week.